I love having guests on the show, but it's extra special when they're actually sitting across the table from me instead of on a screen. And this guest came bearing cookies, so you know it was a good day.
Nicole Duckett runs Herbs & Sweets, a small cookie business in Severna Park, Maryland, that bakes herbs right into every batch. She came into our world in the best way. She called the farm one day and asked, "Do you have flowers?" When I asked what kind, she said she wanted flowers she could put in her cookies. And when we said yes, we grow edible flowers, her answer was, "Really? Really?" She was here the next day.
Here's what she taught me about baking with flowers and herbs, including the one step she learned the hard way.
Why is it so hard to find edible flowers?
Because you can't just use any old flower. Most flowers sold at garden centers and grocery stores aren't grown to be eaten, and nobody can tell you whether they've been sprayed. Nicole called around and kept hearing, "Well, we have pansies, but I don't know if they were sprayed."
If you're going to eat a flower, it needs to come from a grower who raised it to be eaten. That's the whole reason we grow edible flowers here, and it's why you'll find edible petals in our Petal Pantry.
What are the best edible flowers for cookies?
Pansies and violas, hands down. Nicole has experimented with a lot of flowers, and here's what she's learned:
- Go dark. Purples, deep reds, and strong colors pop on a baked cookie. Pale yellows and light oranges turn almost translucent and disappear.
- Skip the hard centers. Flowers with thick centers don't press flat, so she pulls those apart and uses just the petals.
- Pick flowers people recognize. Pansies are happy flowers, soft and bright, big or tiny, and everyone knows what they are. Nobody bites into a pansy cookie wondering what that thing is. As Nicole says, you eat with your eyes first.
One flower that's edible but not great for baking? Gomphrena (globe amaranth). When we've ground it up, it puffs up like a cattail. Totally safe, but the mouthfeel is odd, and you want the flower to be a smooth little accent, not something stuck in your teeth like a bite of broccoli.
How do you keep edible flowers fresh?
Keep them cold, and keep them away from fruit. Apples, bananas, and citrus give off ethylene gas, the same gas that ripens fruit, and it makes flowers age faster too. (This is why I'm always asking my team what's in their lunchboxes before anything goes in our fridge.)
When I told Nicole this, she went home and pulled every lemon, lime, and orange out of her refrigerator. Then she wrapped her flowers in plastic wrap to keep them sealed until she was ready to bake.
How do you get flowers to stick to cookies?
This was the part that blew my mind, because in my world, the freezer is the death of a flower. But for baking, it's exactly what keeps the color.
Nicole's first try didn't go well. She was impatient (we've all been there), pressed the flowers on, and put the cookies straight in the oven. The petals flaked right off. You could blow on them like powder. So here's the method that works:
- Roll out your dough.
- Brush the surface very lightly with water or rose water. Go easy, because extra moisture makes dough tacky and funky.
- Press each flower on gently.
- Lay parchment paper over the top and roll lightly, then give it a gentle hand press. Not too hard, you want the cookie to keep its shape.
- Freeze for at least 24 hours so the flowers seal into the dough. Nicole usually goes 48.
- Bake straight from the freezer. Don't let them sit out. She tested letting a few rest while others baked, and that didn't work either.
There's no shortcut and no magic dough glue. It's a lot of handwork and patience, which is why these cookies are priced differently from the rest of her lineup. But when you get it right, the flower comes out of the oven still holding its color.
We also talked about dehydrated petals, which is how a lot of our edible flowers go out. Once a petal is dried, its color holds, and bakers have used plain dried petals (no sugar, no salt) in breads and rolls. Nicole is still playing with the right dough texture for them, and with flower crackers too, and I can't wait to see where that goes.
Fun fact: who buys the flower cookies?
Men! Nicole was surprised too. Most of her pressed flower cookies are bought by men as gifts for their wives, moms, and daughters. (My theory is the women are looking at them thinking, "I could make that.")
Can you bake cookies with herbs?
Absolutely, and this is the heart of Herbs & Sweets. Nicole and her husband started the business together when her corporate job was bought out. He's retired and loves to garden, she loves to bake, and they put the two together. They held a tasting at their house with a few very honest friends (you need honest friends for this!), and the answer was clear: nobody had ever thought to put herbs in cookies.
Her fall lineup included:
- Grandma's Kitchen: an oatmeal cookie with apples, caramel bits, and mint. She calls it the potato chip of cookies, because you can't eat just one.
- Salty Rose: a dark chocolate cookie with ganache, Ghirardelli chocolate, rosemary, and sea salt on top.
- A pumpkin cookie with cheesecake filling and basil.
- A shortbread with cranberries, orange zest, and thyme.
She bakes with turmeric, ginger, thyme, basil, mint, lavender, and rosemary, and puts out five flavors a season since she's the only one baking. She uses quality ingredients, too: farm eggs, high-quality butter, and good vanilla. These cookies have personality. They go with milk, tea, coffee, or a glass of wine, and they work from breakfast to dessert.
Which herbs don't work in cookies?
Not every herb or spice translates. Nicole tried a masala blend that smelled wonderful and just didn't work in a cookie. Her take is that it comes down to strength. There are so many varieties of basil (sweet, lemon, Thai) and so many kinds of rosemary, and if you grab the strongest-smelling one and toss it in dough, you get a funky cookie. Start mild and taste as you go.
Coming soon: a cookie subscription
Nicole's favorite part of what she does is watching someone take the first bite and do a total double take. Now she's turning that into a cookie subscription: a dozen cookies plus a candle she designed to match the flavor, with holiday orders opening around December. In the new year, she's adding a subscription box with surprise gifts from other small businesses. I think it's genius.
Get on her email list at herbsandsweets.com so you hear when new batches drop, and follow along on Instagram and Facebook. She ships, and you can message her through her site.
Want more edible flower ideas?
If this got you curious, listen back to our edible flowers episode, or try something in your own kitchen with our peony jelly or lavender scones. And to get to know the flowers themselves, wander through The Bloom Book.
Grow your own edible flowers
Pansies and violas are some of the easiest, happiest flowers you can grow, and they love cool weather. If you'd like to grow your own edible flowers next season, my free Cut Flower Garden Planning Guide walks you through planning your garden step by step, so you'll have flowers for the vase and the cookie sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What edible flowers are best for cookies?
Pansies and violas. Their flat faces press easily, and dark purples and reds keep their color after baking. Pale yellow and light orange petals tend to turn translucent.
How do you get flowers to stay on cookies?
Brush rolled dough lightly with water, press the flowers on gently, cover with parchment and roll lightly, then freeze for at least 24 hours. Bake straight from the freezer. If you bake right away, the petals flake off.
Can you eat any pansy?
Only pansies grown to be eaten. Flowers from garden centers or florists may have been sprayed with products that aren't safe to eat. Buy edible flowers from a grower who raises them for food.
How do you keep edible flowers fresh?
Keep them cold and sealed, and store them away from apples, bananas, and citrus. Those fruits release ethylene gas, which makes flowers age faster.
What herbs can you bake into cookies?
Thyme, rosemary, mint, basil, lavender, ginger, and turmeric all work. Milder varieties are easier to bake with, since very strong herbs can overpower a cookie.
Do dried edible flowers keep their color when baked?
Dehydrated petals generally hold their color well, which is why bakers use plain dried petals in breads and rolls.
Listen to the full episode on The Flower Files or wherever you get your podcasts.
